Ah, it’s almost a shame that there are just two episodes left, but that’s the strength of a good Noitamina-series: they’re short, but really, really sweet. This episode was the calm before the storm: preparing everything for that finale, and it’s promising to become an awesome one that is going to involve every single character significantly.

I really liked how both Jinta and Poppo nearly broke their character. Unlike Yukiatsu who isn’t afraid to show his personal feelings or Naruko who is terrible at hiding them, both of them have been quite good at dodging these things. This time, even that composure broke. Especially Jinta, who right now is the one threatening to screw everything up.

As to the “big plothole” of this series, I think that it has a lot to do with this. While it remains questionable why Menma waited so long on announcing her presence, it is clear now why Jinta didn’t push her to do that: it’s pretty much as Yukiatsu said; Jinta wants to stay with Menma and wants to have her for himself, while at the same time he still has parts of the attention whore that he was when he was younger.

Meanwhile, Tsuruko also finally showed some new things of herself. She really is going to be a big mystery for that ending as well: she’s the most composed member of the cast so she really had relatively few scenes to show her character off compared to the more unstable characters, but with Yukiatsu getting stranger and stranger (he’s also hitting on Naruko now? Is this because he’s interested in her or because he just wants to take everything away from Jinta?) we finally get to see that she too has at least a crush. Her character was invaluable to the series, though. It showed that the cast wasn’t entirely made up out of people with issues. It was exactly what the cast needed here for variety.Rating: ** (Excellent)

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I was hoping for an awesome follow up and this sure didn’t disappoint. There was development in directions I totally didn’t expect but fit it perfectly. It addressed the effect of the others not being able to see Menma on levels I didn’t anticipate. Interesting little twist, how Menma can only write in either her diary or the pillar of their secret base; Places she had only written in in life?

it is clear now why Jinta didn’t push her to do that

Hm. I still think a part of it was Jinta still being unsure whether the Menma with him was real or just a figment of his imagination.

he just wants to take everything away from Jinta?

Hm. I’d like to think it’s less about that than him just trying to get over Menma through a person in a similar position. Jinta doesn’t see Naruko in that way anyway. Well, we’ll leave the question of whether Yukiatsu actually has any feelings for Naruko or whether he’s just using her as a replacement for Menma for later. I don’t see Yukiatsu as truly mean-spirited. He held off on punching Yadomi at the end of the last episode and cried. I think he cares about Yadomi in his own way and felt sorry for him for his apparent delusions and went along with it to help him get back to his feet, in spite of all the pain it was causing. Well, there might have been a part of him that wanted to settle his own past feelings.

we finally get to see that she too has at least a crush

Hm. I think Tsuruko has been in love with Yukiatsu since childhood. She kept the hairpin Yukiatsu threw away and still wears it from time to time. She hangs around him even though she knows he’s still hung up on Menma. I think she only turned him down to his tea offer way back when because she knew he wasn’t really interested in her yet. She’s another one still living in the past, still liking Yukiatsu from the shadows as he liked Menma. This new plot twist is interesting.

Wasn’t Tsuruko smiling when she saw Yukiatsu and Anjou talking, or was that frown? I can’t quite remember. In any case, it’s nice to see that Anjou and Yukiatsu are using each other to deal with the pain of rejection. Their kindred spirits in that they both failed in their love struggles, as much as Anjou wants to deny it, it’s true.

In any case, it’s nice to see that Anjou and Yukiatsu are using each other to deal with the pain of rejection.

Yea. I think these two are moving forward, although I’m not sure if they’ll work out as a couple, even after this series is over. Unlike Yukiatsu, Anjou still has a chance with the love of her life if Menma moves on. Yukiatsu might wind up responding to Tsuruko’s feelings too, once he finally notices. And Poppo might have some loose ends to tie up too.

Jin-tan and Yukiatsu seem to be having a contest this episode about who can be the most insensitive jerk. Jin-tan’s got no eyes for the land of the living now that the others believe Menma exists and he feels he can talk to her wherever, and Yukiatsu’s got no eyes for those that have been around him and supported him all this time.

Poor Menma really is part cure and part poison for the group (in different quantities each episode), but she’s too immature to realise it. Jin-tan was moving in a really promising direction a while back, but I’ve been pretty disgusted with him since he ran away from Anaru last episode, then didn’t even notice how much he was hurting her in this one because he’s too fixated on the dead girl.

I really hope that the ending can resolve everything properly (Personally, I think Menma being happily sent off and Jin-tan and Anaru hooking up, and probably Yukiatsu and Tsuruko doing the same is the best hope of salvation for each of them) – but if there are only 2 episodes left it really does seem to be cutting it fine.

but I’ve been pretty disgusted with him since he ran away from Anaru last episode

Meh. I think she deserved it. Anjou basically proved that she was never thinking about his well-being, just feeling sorry for herself. She deserves the cold shoulder. Poor Menma? Poor Jinta.. no one’s helped him all these years, and now he’s having to figure everything out for himself.

Really reminds me of Menma running away from Yukiatsu when he tried to give her that hairpin.

Exactly. He’s even got a good reason to be bitter about it.

Yukiatsu getting stranger and stranger

He’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in recent times, and fast becoming my favorite character in this series. I like the idea that on some level he’s trying to hurt Jinta, for something the poor kid doesn’t really deserve.

It’s true what they say, if you want people to hate someone, just have them give an annoying and cute moe girl the cold shoulder.

yukiatsu and anjou are definitely helping each other to move forward. I love how mature yukiatsu has been throughout the series even when his cross-dressing was discovered he handled it really well. As oppose to what people think I’m happy to see he notices anjou pain over her one-sided love and in many ways they are both similar. If there is anyone who can help them move forward it is these two. Will they survive as a couple? who knows..the future is so uncertain. I’m actually really worried about jin-tan because unlike the other two whom heads are firmly with the living, Jin-tan head is in the clouds so it makes me wonder how will he cope with menma really disappearing forever.

I love how mature yukiatsu has been throughout the series even when his cross-dressing was discovered he handled it really well.

Yes, I thought Tsuruko’s pus squeezing plan had really worked. Except he’s still insanely jealous of Jin-tan to the point that he can quickly fly into a rage (physical violence against Jin-tan last time, or the fencepost this time) or become depressed and wild (crying and pleading with Jin-tan last time, and Menma’s dad his time).

The guy’s still seriously unbalanced, as is Jin-tan, who walked towards reality/society, just to walk away again. I really do wonder if these two, who were hurt the most by Menma’s death can be saved.

After this episode I’m getting a strong sense that the feel-good / life-affirming vibe in the earlier episodes is a big fake-out, and the end is going to go for something more “shocking” than mere “bittersweet”.

Part of it’s just some clues it seems to be putting out there, and part of it seems to be that there don’t seem to be that many routes available to shoot for a “normal” bittersweet ending. But what do I know really? I made some embarrassing predictions about this show on one of your earlier posts. Should learn my lesson, but never do.

But yeah, the big thing with this episode is that for such a “calm before the storm” it really made any kind of happy-ish ending seem very far away.

[...] “Ah, it’s almost a shame that there are just two episodes left, but that’s the strength of a good Noitamina-series: they’re short, but really, really sweet. This episode was the calm before the storm: preparing everything for that finale, and it’s promising to become an awesome one that is going to involve every single character significantly.” – Star Crossed Anime Blog [...]

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Ebod

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 08:22 PM)

V for Vendetta for me has always been a more “literary” work than Watchmen, but Watchmen is spectacular because it’s a story that can only be told in full scope in the comic format. While I feel like many major themes and events from V for Vendetta could easily be adapted into, say, novel format, the same could not be said of Watchmen.
Also, the racist whitewashing Hollywood does of Asian characters really has to stop.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:30 AM)

Watchmen was deemed ‘unadaptable’ for about thirty years, so just getting what Snyder got out of the material is a huge success; it is said that what he did was to write a book version of Ingmar’s Holy Mountain. Watchmen is the only graphic novel to ever win a Hugo award and is easily the most intricate and multilayered Alan Moore comic, so it’s no surprise that it continues to top ‘best comics of all time’ charts to this day.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:20 AM)

I beg to differ. Doctor Manhatten is the most intriguing character of Watchmen and the comic is a giant in ,not only in the comic world, but the history of literature itself. It is a deconstruction of superheros and Dr. M shows how afraid the world would really be when faced with a ‘superman’ and how a creature in such a higher realm of time and perception would show apathy toward humans and their foolish struggles.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:15 AM)

GitS just won’t work. Maybe in a world before the Matrix, but not now with so many elements of it borrowed liberally by so many franchises in various mediums. Scarlet Johansson is decent in roles that fit her. She was enjoyable in Lost In Translation, but race aside she has nothing in common with Kusanagi. This is a travesty and the franchise is dear to me so it especially burns my ass.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:10 AM)

While I am no fan of man of steel, Nolan and Snyder, just about anyone would have a hard time taking a difficult character like superman and making him work on screen.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:08 AM)

Apart from Veidt and Rorshach I could never get into the characters all that much in watchmen. I also found the film overly long and mediocre acted for the larger part. But to each there own. For Alan moores works I always preferred his Miracleman, swamp thing, V for Vendetta stories.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:06 AM)

Nolan can produce the action plus personal and dark story that Alita would need, and he also brings talent such as composer Hans Zimmer and Cinematographer Sally Pfister to the table. Him and Snyder have too much combined integrity to make a mockery out of Alita like Spielberg did with the GitS license.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:03 AM)

Well Snyder has respect for his source materials and that is key in anime-to-film adaptations. Hell I’m a big Watchmen fan and I thought his version was (almost painfully) close to the comic. You’re not going to get that anywhere else in Hollywood. Also the combination of Nolan/Snyder is quite different than them individually.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 05:34 AM)

And directed it as a co-production with America, using a Japanese cast.
Yeah…this is impossible…

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 05:32 AM)

The only way a live action ghost in the shell film would work is if Mamoru oshii directed it.

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